Thailand, USA, Cuba: Top ten long-haul holidays fast becoming popular with Brits
Holiday-makers are looking further afield than Europe for their annual breaks
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Your support makes all the difference.Britons may be set to buck the trend for short-haul holidays this summer, as more of us begin planning our great escapes to far-flung destinations such as Thailand, Cuba and the USA.
The Maldives and Thailand are also fast becoming popular getaways this year as the tidal wave of holiday-makers planning their 2014 summer escape begins to gather momentum.
They join Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates as the destinations many are travelling to for a much needed holiday, suggesting Britons are willing to trek to further corners of the earth for their annual break, according to travel company Kuoni.
Their sales saw Vietnam move from 23rd to 14th in their list of best-selling destinations between 2011 and 2013, while Mexico went from 29th to the 17th during the same period.
A survey by Travel Supermarket also highlighted a drop in the number of people expecting to visit European destinations such as Spain for their holiday (12 per cent vs 14 per cent between 2013 and 2014), and noted America was among the most sought after holiday locations of 2014. This follows an increase in the amount people will spend on average for a holiday, which is currently £1,076 per person - up by £41 on the previous year.
In a separate survey, The Post Office said the cost of holidaying in Jamaica, Japan and the Gambia has decreased by over 30 per cent, while Bali was ranked the cheapest destination to travel to in 2014. Its report predicted emerging countries that will prove popular with tourists this year are likely to be Burma, Qatar and the Philippines.
Kuoni credited the growing trend to head further for a short break on increasing developments and investment in tourism on countries such as Vietnam. Managing director Derek Jones said: "Vietnam has seen huge developments in its tourism industry over the last few years, with investment in a wide choice of hotels and sightseeing options.
"Access to the country has become much easier since Vietnam Airlines launched direct flights from the UK in 2011 and we're now seeing the impact of that. We expect to see it move into our top 10 this year for the first time."
Kuoni's best-selling destinations for 2014 based on advance sales until the end of January are as follows:
1. Maldives
2. Thailand
3. Sri Lanka
4. United Arab Emirates
5. USA
6. Mauritius
7. Malaysia
8. Cuba
9. Antigua
10. Singapore
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